


The Art and Artistry of Working at Home

by sunkissedmorning



Category: The West Wing
Genre: Domesticity, F/M, Post Episode: s01e10 In Excelsis Deo, Post-Series
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-03-03
Updated: 2015-03-03
Packaged: 2018-03-16 03:18:20
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,013
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3472472
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sunkissedmorning/pseuds/sunkissedmorning
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Donna finally finds a use for Josh's Christmas present from all those years ago, and Josh finds reason to pout.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Art and Artistry of Working at Home

Donna sits down on the couch with her first edition copy of The Art and Artistry of Alpine Skiing by Heimlich Beckengruber. She’s never read any further than Josh’s note on the inside cover. She pauses for a moment to reread it: 

Christmas 1999  
Dear Donna,  
It may not be skis but I figure this is as close as you’ll get to actually skiing anytime soon. Please know that I would be lost without you in my life. Your friendship and dedication to this job are enough for me to be grateful to you…

“You reminiscing?” Josh asks as he walks through the door.

Donna looks up at Josh’s voice, “You’re home early for a Wednesday. Believe it or not, I was actually going to read the book.”

“Why?” he asks after he’s dropped his coat and backpack in the middle of the floor and leans over to give Donna a quick kiss. She looks annoyed as she stares at the mess he’s left on the floor. Josh sighs and hangs up his coat and then places his backpack on a chair.

“Because like you, I’ve had a long day and want to unwind with something mind-numbing and bland.” Josh steals Donna’s glass of wine from the table and takes a drink before she grabs it out from his hands. 

“Well, you’re in luck. I’m home now,” Josh smiles. “Seriously, what made you think to pick that up?”

“I was finally unpacking our books the other day and stumbled across it.”

“And you figured now that you have me in the flesh to come home to and not just, might I say, a very thoughtful gift, you’d finally read it?

“When was the last time I came home to you?”

“You know what I mean.”

“Yes, I do,” Donna smiles. “And yeah, something along those lines. So are you in for the night?”

“Barring any nuclear or international crises, yes.”

“Good. I left some dinner in the fridge you can warm up.”

“Aren’t you the little homemaker?”

“Whatever.”

From the kitchen Josh yells, “I barely saw you today. How was it?”

“Oh, you know. There was a luncheon in New York and I was yet again finishing her remarks on the plane.”

“You guys should really get some speechwriters,” Josh says as he comes back into the room with his food and sits down on the couch next to Donna.

“We have speechwriters. They’re just not very good.”

“Then borrow some people from OEOB.”

“I’ll even promise to fill the tank back up when we’re done.”

“I’m serious, Donna. That’s why we have an entire office of speechwriters across the street.”

“I appreciate it, Josh, but I don’t want to use the president’s writers for the First Lady.”

“And why not? I hired perfectly competent people, somewhat educated in literacy.”

“Nice. Because she’s not a cabinet member. Obviously, she’s not independent of him, but I still don’t want the voices to be the same. She’s a mother of two young children. Her exposure is limited right now because she wants her children to see at least one parent, and so any speech she gives right now needs to be her own.”

“Okay. I can’t argue with that.”

“Thank you.”

“This feels like an office conversation, not a home conversation.”

“Yes, but we’re not in the office. Sometimes,” Donna begins to say, slowing down her words as she stares at Josh, “we’re going to accidentally have conversations that are better suited for the office. We just need to be careful of the frequency and the place.”

“Like the bedroom?”

“Yes, like our bedroom at one o’clock in the morning”

“We’re not usually talking at one in the morning. We’re usually asleep or…”

“Yes.”

“Did I…?”

“Yes.”

“I’m sorry,” Josh sheepishly says.

“You asked me when the next time the First Lady would be in Texas.”

“And I was …?”

“Yes, you were.”

“Well, that must have not been very romantic.”

“It didn’t completely kill the mood but, yes, very undesirable.”

“I don’t really like that to describe me.”

“Then don’t ask questions about work while you’re…”

“I got it.”

“In fact,” Donna says, punctuating her meaning by climbing onto Josh’s lap, slowly starting to undo his tie and unbutton his shirt, “we should probably make a rule of not talking at all while you’re…”

“You mean, at least, not complete sentences, right?”

“Right,” she smirks before beginning a trail of small kisses from his neck to his mouth.

“You know,” he says, “it’s not one o’clock yet.”

“No, it’s not. Are you saying it’s too early for sex?” Donna says as she pulls back to look at him. 

“Let me be clear,” Josh states, emphasizing his meaning by flailing his arms, “That’s absolutely not what I’m saying. It’s just, I’m pretty useless work-wise after we’ve, you know.”

“Had sex?”

“I fall asleep.”

“You do. You’ve been doing that a lot lately. Should I be offended?”

“No, I think you should be proud that your sexual prowess is so powerful that it has the means to completely drain and relax me to the point of sheer exhaustion.”

“Wow, I should be proud of that.”

“Plus, I’m getting old.”

“Well,” Donna says as she climbs off of him and heads towards the bedroom, “I’ll be in here reading my book, which is just boring enough I should be asleep in about fifteen minutes. Try not to wake me when you finally come to bed.”

“So this is my choice? Work or sex?”

“Yep.”

“Couldn’t you watch tv for a while or something?”

“While I wait for you to finish working at home so you can then get some sex?”

Josh thinks for a moment. “Yes.”

“I don’t think so, buddy. Good night.”

Josh lets out an exasperated sigh and turns to his backpack. He pulls out a detailed government report on recent test scores of urban public schools. After a while he sees the light go out in the bedroom. He gives upon the reports and heads to the bedroom.

“Donna, you’re not asleep yet are you?”

**Author's Note:**

> Originally posted on livejournal May 2006


End file.
